Reports & Updates

Britain First stopped in Rochester

November 16, 2014

General

Reposted from London Antifascists

A great day for antifascists as Britain First were stopped in their tracks.

Police were nowhere to be seen as they let the visiting band of fascists move off from the train station and attempt to charge through the group of antifascists blocking the road. However, they were stopped in their tracks by militant antifascists that were more than a match for the plastic patriots. Paul Golding later bragged that they would have moved through the antifascists like a ‘knife through butter’ if the police weren’t ‘sabotaging’ their march. Well Paul, you had your chance and you failed. Maybe next time you might want to lead from the front rather than cowering behind your security? The police then took control of the fascist march, forcing through the lines of antifascists before it was finally blocked at the high-street and turned back.

This is just the latest in a string of defeats for the toothless Britain First that has seen its activists chased from the streets across the country. After being turned back from marching twice in Rochester it must be dawning on their leader that facebook likes do not translate into a street movement.

Paul Golding has promised more action after this latest defeat, we think he should learn his lesson and stay at home next time.

ITN Video: http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2014-11-15/clashes-between-marchers-as-rochester-by-election-campaign-continues/

See you on the streets!

London Anti-Fascists
Britain First Fascists Embarrassed in Rochester

November 2, 2014

General

from antifascistnetwork.org

Yesterday (01/11/14) was Britain First’s “National Day of Action” in Rochester, the town in which their deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, is standing for election. Despite talk on the internet of “hundreds of patriots”, barely 80 fascists actually made it, virtually none of whom were actually from Rochester or Strood. They were opposed and outnumbered by around 100 to 150 local residents and militant anti-fascists.

Although the party leadership told members that “good standards of behaviour apply”, right from the get-go, Britain First were embarrassing themselves. They hurled racist and homophobic abuse at anti-fascists, and clearly many of them were very much up for a fight, including Party Führer Paul Golding himself.

As both sides gathered at the station, things took a lurch towards the surreal as Britain First started playing epic orchestral music over a PA system. Hey guys, taking yourselves too seriously much? At this time prospective MP Jayda Fransen turned up, grabbing the mic in order to hurl abuse at anti-fascists, calling them “brainwashed traitors” who should be “hung, drawn and quartered”. Way to win over the local electorate, Jayda!

Meanwhile, anti-fascists regaled BF with some inventive chants including “You’re losing your deposit”, “where’ve your leaflets gone?” and “Royal Mail Royal Mail Royal Mail!”, those last two in reference to the fact that, hilariously, the Royal Mail has refused to deliver BF’s election leaflets, calling them “threatening” and “abusive”.

Soon the fascists tried to move off for a march. Quickly, anti-fascists got in front of them with a large “No Pasarán!” banner and blocked the road, leading to an hour-long stand off.

Whilst the local plod panicked and tried to figure out what to do, Führer Golding took to the microphone to repeatedly threaten anti-fascists, saying that “if the police don’t get rid of them, we will!”. Despite this posturing, they never made good on their threats (although Golding’s security team did repeatedly try to start fights with individual counter-protesters) and instead had to rely on Kent’s finest to force their march through.

Eventually, around an hour after they started their march, Britain First managed to reach their destination, a car park around 200 yards from the station where they initially mustered. They were promptly surrounded by anti-fascists and spent the next two hours attempting to give speeches over the heckles and abuse of locals and anti-fascists. Bizarrely, Jayda also burned a placard showing her face, which led to some very strange photos.

Also, eagle eyed anti-fascists spotted that the Britain First armoured Land Rover, last seen crashing into a car park barrier and being utterly humiliated in Swanley, spent the whole day parked in a disabled parking bay. Stay classy, lads.

One anti-fascist was arrested for refusing to give the police their details, but they were released without charge around 2 hours later.

All in all, Britain First were utterly humiliated, and it’s clear they have absolutely no local support in Rochester. Odds have shortened on them losing their deposit in the by-election on the 20th November.

In other anti-fascist news, several members of London Anti-fascists were on the huge Kobane solidarity march in central London yesterday. Solidarity with the Kurdish resistance!
Victory in Cardiff!

October 28, 2014

General

It was a busy weekend for anti-fascists with people opposing the EDL in Leeds, Leeds AFN holding their own demo in Rotherham and anti-fascists joining a pro-Kobane demo in London opposing a Turkish business ball at the Savoy. However top news of the weekend was a victory in Cardiff over the ‘Welsh Alliance’.

The Welsh Alliance appear to be a new incarnation of or split from the Welsh Defence League. Their claims not to be racist are slightly undermined by the Welsh Defence League having been famously stuffed full of out-and-out fascists such as notorious Swansea Nazi Luke Pippin.

And on Saturday, lo and behold Luke Pippin surfaced as one of the leaders of the Welsh Alliance. Not for long though, as within minutes of leaving the pub he was arrested for shouting verbal abuse and using threatening behaviour.

Their barrel-scraping ’Alliance’ consisted of about 30 racists and that includes shipping in plentiful support from across the border. Funnily for a demo in Wales, their most prominent flag was a large St George’s cross saying ‘Battle for England’. Shurely shome mishtake?

Even though anti-fascists only mobilised at short notice a week in advance, they still outnumbered the fascists 2 to 1.

Due to the scale of opposition from anti-fascists, the fascist march was impeded all along its route, stopped in its tracks several times and was forced to be rerouted round the back streets. They had planned to march from the train station up the High Street for speeches at the City Hall. They were eventually forced to have their ‘rally’ in a back street by the police station, where they were drowned out by anti-fascists.

However unhappily at the end of the march, the counter-demonstration was kettled while the fascists were allowed to disperse to drink in city-centre pubs, including the Wetherspoons Prince of Wales which happily served them but ejected anti-fascists.

One anti-fascist was arrested and released without charge.

The fascists’ leader was arrested, they failed to spew their racial hatred at the people of Cardiff, they were invisible within a police kettle and were forced into the back streets by strong opposition. Result for anti-fascists in South Wales!

Contact: South Wales Anti-Fascist Action
Bald men struggle over comb: Griffin booted out of the BNP

October 7, 2014

General

from Antifascistnetwork.org

Anti-fascists have been laughing themselves silly at the spectacle of Nick Griffin being chucked out of the party he led for 15 years. For many years the most recognisable and prominent fascist in Britain, Griffin has been unceremoniously ditched by a group of non-entities he once counted as some of his closest supporters.

Opposing factions in the BNP have been eyeing each other up since Griffin was eased out of the party leadership in July. Internal rumblings burst out into the open when Griffin produced a document claiming serious financial impropriety over wills and the shocking claim that the party had become a dictatorship. Surely not! Well, here’s the thing Nick, when it comes to fascism, that’s the idea.

The new leadership called this a betrayal and branded Griffin an enemy of the party. Griffin appears to have over-estimated his level of support in the party and been completely out-manoeuvred by his opponents. Even more damaging for Griffin, the people who have chucked him out are the same people who were on his side during the last round of internal faction-fighting in 2010.

You’ve got to hand it to the new leader Adam Walker. Walker is a man seemingly devoid of political skill and gives rousing speeches to the dwindling ranks of the party faithful like a drunk shouting at a bus stop. Yet he has taken on a past master at factional infighting and won, at least for now.

What has Walker won though? At one time, the BNP had greater ambition, discipline and success than any other post-war fascist group in Britain. This is all in the past. One reason why Griffin was so easily ousted was because he soldiered on as leader while the party’s electoral support collapsed. In the European elections back in May, the party’s vote fell below the level of support they achieved in the 1999 European elections. That’s over a decade of rapid progress eradicated.

It’s hard to see a way back for the BNP either. This infighting could not come at a better time as it will prevent the party from capitalising on the disgusting Rotherham child abuse scandals. Moreover, Adam Walker as BNP leader is an asset to the anti-fascist movement. In addition to being an idiot, he also comes with serious baggage. Surely even the BNP realise that a man with a conviction for threatening kids with a knife and who had a Japanese wife is in no position to run a campaign claiming that it is dangerous for kids to associate with non-whites?

It looks like Griffin has already thrown in the towel and given up on the BNP. His rants on Twitter include a demand for a new party (led by him, of course) and for the BNP to be destroyed. If he can’t have it then no-one can. Expect further toxic details about the main players in the BNP to be leaked in the near future.

There are few people who would join Griffin in this proposed new group. He is widely distrusted on the far right and many fascists will be gloating that he has received his just desserts. As leader, Griffin had dozens of opponents expelled, including his predecessor John Tyndall, and people have not forgotten the role he played in splitting up the National Front almost 30 years ago. Griffin has been sniffing round the NF but it is hard to see why they would have him back.

It is gratifying to see the BNP reduced to this level of destructive bickering. If given the chance, Griffin, Walker and the other incompetents embroiled in this will destroy the BNP. Anti-fascists should be ready to assist them.
South Wales Anti-Fascists benefit gig

September 25, 2014

General

Upcoming benefit gig for our comrades in South Wales Anti Fascist Action!
Stop the EDL in Bournemouth

August 14, 2014

General

taken from – antifascistnetwork.org

Oppose the racist English Defence League in Bournemouth on 23rd August!

Once again this bizarre right-wing cult threatens one of the most peaceful and diverse communities in the south. Their proposed ‘Bournemouth against the Islamification of Britain’ march is a crude provocation to a section of the population that has been here since before most of them were born. They want to come and cause disharmony within our welcoming multicultural town and we will be there to “Say NO” to their unwelcome and unwanted racism.

A broad-based coalition, ‘We are Bournemouth’ comprising unions, community organizations, traders and individuals from all walks of life has called for a massive, inclusive, family-friendly counter demonstration against racism and fascism.

Local antifascist groups such as BHstopEDL, StopEDL Bournemouth and of course the Anti Fascist Network will also be out and about on the day, something for everyone. Bournemouth EDL are expecting their fascist mates to come from all over, so we call on antifascists from across the south to join us on the day.

Watch this space for more details. In the meantime, get your friends together and sort out your transport. See you on the streets!
Far-right loses two leaders in a week! Fascists in disarray – Anti-fascists can take credit

July 29, 2014

General

taken from – antifascistnetwork.org

They’re falling like nine-pins!

This week saw BNP fuhrer Nick Griffin pushed out by his own party shortly after becoming unemployed due to losing his seat in the European Parliament. As if that were not enough, a few days later we had Britain First founder and main funder Jim Dowson quitting and pulling the plug on funding the far-right wannabe paramilitary group.

Just like when chief racist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon quit the EDL because – surprise-surprise – the organisation he founded was full of racists, long-time Christian bigot and racist Dowson’s sudden implausible discovery that Britain First was a bit racist really tells another story.

With both Griffin and Dowson (and Yaxley as well), it has been the relentless pressure on the far-right from anti-fascists and anti-racists that has undermined and worn down the fascists. From researchers digging the dirt and websites cataloguing or mocking their every racist utterance, to leafletters on the streets, crowds of local people opposing them wherever they go and dedicated anti-fascists confronting them physically on the streets – it has been this work of thousands of people that has been responsible for their failure and our success.

Their lack of success has exacerbated tensions within the far-right that have then led to splits, denunciations and total failure. A Britain First statement admits as much by saying Dowson’s decision was partly due to his “persecution” by the “far-Left” – i.e. opposition from people who don’t like racists.

Piss Poor Tour of Shame

Britain First looked like a slick professional outfit and appeared to be on a roll with hundreds of thousands of Facebook followers, until they were stripped of 150,000 of them for purchasing them from a click farm. Then they embarked on a ‘national roadshow’. This would seem like a natural move, but it only highlighted the gulf between their pretensions on social media and their lack of real-world support. None of their meetings across the country attracted more than 20 people, and that’s including the goon squad they brought with them. They faced opposition from anti-fascists almost everywhere they went and had their venues cancel on them in Sheffield and Dartford. Eventually they just abandoned the whole thing, cancelling gigs in Bristol and Belfast that were supposed to be the culmination of their tour.

In a further humiliation, Britain First were chased out of Stevenage and given a slap by soldiers of the Royal Anglian regiment that they idolise.

Now following Dowson pulling the plug, Britain First’s remaining leader Paul Golding says their strategy of ‘mosque invasions’ will cease. He also said “we’re not going anywhere”. Funnily enough that’s exactly what Griffin said before being kicked out as BNP leader. Note to fascists: Groups which aren’t failing don’t need to keep repeating that they’re not going anywhere.

How will Britain First manage without Dowson’s money? Will Golding try and struggle on with ever increasing appeals to the faithful for cash or without it’s sugar-daddy will the groupuscule just evaporate into nothing?

And what now for the BNP? They’re going to start looking like a less professional outfit as the Euro MEP money dries up and it’s not looking good as they just pushed Griffin out in favour of an even less attractive leader.

One thing’s for sure: Even though anti-fascists are currently getting organised and stronger as the fascists fall to pieces, the threat still remains and we must remain vigilant and organised against racists and fascists to make sure they don’t get a chance to re-organise.